EP REVIEW: Senses (Part One) – Derange

With a vibrant community and catered festivals like UK Tech-Fest and Radar Festival, the UK scene for progressive and technical leaning music is very much alive in 2019. Having been cemented in the scene since their inception, DERANGE are very much darlings of the UK’s tech movement and with their latest EP, Senses (Part 1), the quintet are looking to capitalise on their momentum.

Billed as the first part of a double package of EPs that are connected thematically, the five tracks that comprise phase one of this new chapter for the band make for an infectious and dazzling romp from start to finish. EP opener Runaway does a great job of displaying everything DERANGE are about as dazzling riffs complement the soaring vocals of Cat Pereira whilst guitar work from Nick Crosby and Justas Brazdžiūnas on Higher keep the momentum swinging from intricate melodies to head-snapping riffing with absolute ease.

Speaking of Pereira, whilst her bandmates do a lovely job of presenting complicated musical rhythms that sit comfortably within the scene in which they are rooted in, it is with Cat Pereira‘s vocal performance across the EP that makes for the strongest component of this release. Her soaring cleans in the chorus of Higher are an anthem in the making whilst her dynamic range of harsh-leaning growls to smooth cleans on Divide glistens with quality. It is with her vocal prowess that helps DERANGE stand a foot above the competition.

And yet this EP isn’t just a one trick pony that relies on a compelling vocal performance to carry it across the finish line. Across the record’s five tracks, DERANGE thoughtfully utilise a range of tempos and moods to create a dynamic release that is bursting at the seams with character. Human is a prime example of this. Here, the way in which the quintet flip from emotion-driven passages, that allows the technicality within their ranks to shine bright, to heavy and explosive moments is simply superb and final track Zero leans more towards the melodic bedrock to their sound, making for a soaring conclusion to the record.

With just five tracks and a total runtime just shy of 20 minutes, the biggest complaint towards Senses (Part 1) is that it is just too damn short. When the quality is this good, upon the record’s conclusion you are just yearning for more. Granted, the bigger picture here is that this is only part one of two EPs, but selfishness dictates and you just want more from a band who seemingly are really beginning to hit their stride.

Senses (Part 1) feels like the next big chapter for DERANGE. The four years between this and their debut, 2015’s The Awakening, has shown a substantial amount of growth for the band and with this new release, it only seems inevitable that DERANGE will further cement their place as a quality homegrown talent within the UK tech scene.

Rating: 8/10

Senses (Part 1) is out now via Dreambound.

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